Portable hunting blinds, such as the so-called "stick blinds", typically utilize vertical poles to support a sheet material. These blinds are desirable because of their low cost, however, they have several disadvantages. For example, stick blinds require guy ropes and stakes for assembly of the blind. The ropes and stakes take away from the simplicity of the blind and complicate its use and transportation.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a portable blind.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a portable blind that is lightweight, compact and quickly erected and which avoids the need for guy ropes and associated stakes for tensioning the guy ropes.
Another object of the invention is to provide a blind of the character described that is stable and easily assembled, disassembled and transported.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a blind of the character described that can be erected in a variety of orientations.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which is inexpensive to produce and convenient to use.
With regard to the foregoing and other objects, the present invention is directed to a portable blind.
In a preferred embodiment, the blind includes a support system and a sheet material secured to at least a portion of the support system. The support system includes a number (n) of horizontal support members and a number (n+1) of vertical support members, wherein n corresponds to an integer of 2 or greater. A plurality of flexible joints connect each vertical support member to at least one of the horizontal support members, with at least one of the vertical support members connected by one of the joints to at least two of the horizontal support members.
In a preferred embodiment, the support system includes a pair of horizontal support members, preferably in the form of wooden dowels, and three vertical support members made of aluminum tubing and having spikes provided at their lower ends for impaling the ground. The outer vertical supports are preferably connected to the outer ends of their adjacent horizontal supports by short lengths of polymer tubing which slide over the ends of the supports to provide a flexible joint. The interior adjacent ends of the horizontal supports are likewise joined together by a length of polymer tubing and the middle vertical support is connected to this joint by a length of polymer tubing which has one end slipped over the middle vertical support and the other end attached by threads to the polymer tubing connecting the horizontal supports. This provides a central joint connecting the middle vertical support to the horizontal supports.
In another aspect, the invention provides a support system for a blind, the support system including a number (n) of horizontal support members and a number (n+1) of vertical support members, wherein n corresponds to an integer of 2 or greater. A plurality of flexible joints connect each vertical support member to at least one of the horizontal support members, with at least one of the vertical support members connected by one of the joints to at least two of the horizontal support members.
In yet another aspect, the invention relates to a collapsible and portable blind system, including a collapsible support system, a sheet material secured to at least a portion of the support system and means for securing the support system and the sheet material in an elongate, rolled configuration for ease of transportation and storage. The support system includes a plurality of horizontal support members, a plurality of vertical support members, and a plurality of flexible joints. Each flexible joint is configured to enable at least one vertical support member to be selectively connectable to at least one horizontal support member. The joints and the horizontal and vertical support members cooperate to enable the the support system and the sheet material to be configured in the elongate, rolled configuration.
A significant advantage of the invention relates to the ease of which the blind may be set-up and taken down. Also, the blind is lightweight and is adaptable to a variety of terrain conditions and set-up orientations. The blind also offers a rigid set-up which avoids the need for guy ropes and stakes and the horizontal members provide a gun or camera rest.